Pages

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Wednesday Women: Brenna and Cassidy by Lara Zielinsky

Wednesday Women are back with Lara Zielinsky! This week's WW come with an excerpt, and a chance to win an ebook. Don't forget that as usual, you can comment to enter until next Tuesday, 8 pm EST. See details below:

~~~

Making Our Own Way

I have always been surrounded by strong, smart women, so much so
that it took me a while to understand that I also was one. I still
have my doubts sometimes, and that exploration of what is strength
and how is it displayed helps me write my stories featuring women
protagonists.

In my novels, Turning Point and Turn for Home, the
lead characters come at the questions "Who am I?" and "How strong am
I?" from very different points in life and perspectives. They become
joined during their journeys, finding not only friendship, but also
love.

Brenna Lanigan is married, with a distant husband and two teen sons.
Cassidy Hyland is a single mom of a five year old boy.

Brenna heard
splashing coming closer and turned again, expecting to find
another child in need of a hand. Instead she found Cassidy --
walking along, keeping a firm palm under Ryan's stomach as he
propelled himself forward, his puffed cheeks regularly
dropping into the water. Finally, he tried taking a deep
breath and swallowed some water. Catching him around the
stomach and pulling him up, Cassidy waited for him to stop
coughing, unalarmed. Her gaze lifted from him and found
Brenna. "Hi.""Hi." Hi?
Brenna castigated herself for the singular response. Come
on, for crying out loud, talk to her. "He swims pretty
well," she noted. "Lessons?""No. Just the
waterproof baby class at the Y when he was two.""Oh." Brenna fell
silent, feeling like a teenager at a prom. The rush of
sensation she experienced in Cassidy's presence was both
exciting and terrifying, and she exhaled slowly.Howls and loud
splashing drew the women's attention to the rocks. Brenna
spotted James leading off a series of wild cannonball jumps,
each splash bigger than the last as the group's teens hit the
water."James!" Brenna
shouted. Her worry subsided when her son surfaced. The joyful
expression on his face demonstrated he was fine and eager for
another run. He looked at her, shrugged, and slowed his steps
for about three paces before he ran to the end of the line of
kids. Brenna shook her head, decided against starting a battle
of wills, and splashed the water surface lightly in her
distraction."Lessons?" Cassidy
asked, her voice sounding in Brenna's right ear at the same
moment Ryan's small hand grasped Brenna's forearm.Brenna inhaled and
exhaled to release the shiver of reaction the double assault
had on her senses -- one innocent and the other
unintentionally seductive. Cassidy had a warm, throaty voice
when she talked softly. Shaking her head, Brenna fought to
just answer the question, trying to avoid letting her own
voice go equally soft in response. "No, just pure gumption.""I wonder where he
gets that from," Cassidy mused, her eyes dancing with
laughter, though not so much as a chuckle passed her lips.Despite the flutters
in her stomach, Brenna bantered back, "Oh really?"Cassidy nodded.
"You've got more guts than ten people put together. I really
believe that, especially after this week."Brenna flushed under
the praise. "Just trying to help," she said quietly.Cassidy did not
respond. In her curiosity, Brenna looked back. She found a
softening light staring at her. She felt as though the gaze
were swallowing her whole. Are you feeling what I'm
feeling? She almost opened her mouth to voice the
question and then suddenly clamped her jaw shut as a voice in
her head warned,
Don't go there.It was barely
audible over the pounding of her heart.

There are many obstacles, both internal and external, to Cass and
Bren’s journeys. But it is each woman’s inner strength that allows
her to transform. And accept a love that is, for the first time,
wholly real and not a Hollywood facade.

Comment on the excerpt or share a moment when you faced a decision
that made you realize everything going forward would be a completely
new experience. One lucky commenter will win a free copy of the
ebook Turning Point (or if you already have that, I’ll send
you the sequel Turn for Home).

6 comments:

Hi Wannetta, you were chosen as the winner of the ebook today. I need an email address, so I can let Lara know where to send it. If you prefer not to put it here, send me a mail at BarbaraWinkes (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thank you & congrats! :)